Cynthia Campoy-Brophy: founder/executive director The HeArt Project

Latin Beat Magazine, Feb, 2003 by Haydee Vicedo

Think back to when you were a young, bright-eyed and curious teenager, to those impressionable times when you were trying to make the transition from childhood to adulthood. Whose teachings and inspiration garnered your interest? What did these folks say or do that was so meaningful? Chances are, if your attention is currently focused on this magazine, then music, in varying degrees, is an integral part of your life; one that was probably cultivated and piqued at ah early age. Chances are, the arts mean something to your heart.

Education comes in different forms, some in the most obvious fashion: a parent, school educators, peers. Other types of instruction obscurely make their way into our thought process: a favorite talk show host, a singer's lyrics and a beloved book. Cynthia Campoy-Brophy is ah "educator," one of the best out there. In 1992, armed with a desire to spread the magic and power of art to young people, she founded The HeArt Project.

The HeArt Project is a non-profit organization that produces year-long series of multidisciplinary arts workshops for Los Angeles teenagers. What began as a program serving teenagers at Para los Niños--a community center on skid row--has grown to include nine continuation high schools and will expand to comprise five more institutions this year. Professional artists work with teenagers in disciplines including painting, poetry, architecture, music, visual arts, dance and theater. Past workshops have included everything from Afro-Cuban Drumming and Filipino Folk Dance, to Silk-screening and Book Making. At the conclusion of each workshop, students from each site come together to present their work to each other and to the public; just in the last ten years, students have performed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), California Plaza, The Getty Center, and Actor's Gang Theater, to name a few. Once The HeArt Project adopts a site, it remains there. This allows students to have sustained experiences in a variety of arts disciplines, as they often remain at continuation schools for two to four years until earning their high school diploma. Many of the participants come from the inner cities and are considered "at-risk," having witnessed more violence, despair and deprivation than most. These students are, however, a group of untapped energy and talent in need of creative outlets and ah introduction to the vast world of art.

Prior to starting the HeArt Project, Campoy-Brophy served as Public Relations Manager for the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and it was at that time that she realized there was a tremendous lack of programming for young adults. She felt there was a need to make arts curriculum a vital part of a student's complete education. Cynthia left MOCA and set out to start what is now The HeArt Project. Since establishing a nonprofit is comparable to starting a new business, Cynthia spent the first few years running The HeArt Project without a salary. To sustain the program (and herself), she worked as a freelance publicist for the organizations About Productions, The Feminist Majority Foundation, Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Department and the Los Angeles Poverty Department, just to name a few. It wasn't until 1996 that her position became full-time and by the 1997 school year, the program had grown to include five sites. The program just celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and expects to expand its reach in the years to come.

The importance of having art as a part of a young person's life is immeasurable. Being exposed to different cultures, learning different art forms and interacting with various social networks opens up a whole new world for these students. It allows them to dream up and create a future with boundless opportunities. That's what makes Cynthia Campoy-Brophy one of the best educators out there. She saw a need for more creative programs for adolescents, found a solution, and set out to make it happen. The HeArt Project, with her guidance, has definitely improved a lot of young people's lives.

Quick Facts:

Cynthia currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two kids

* She received the Vision Award in 1997 and was recognized as a leading non-profit entrepreneur

* Currently serves as a committee member for the L.A. County Arts Commission and is a Eureka Communities Fellow.

For more information on The HeArt Project: check out their website: www.theheartproject.org, send them an email: heartproj@aol.com or call: 213-744-1404